• LeighAnne H Dorton, Catherine Rees Lintzenich, and Adele K Evans.
• Department of Otolaryngology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
• Ann Oto Rhinol Laryn. 2014 Jan 1; 123 (1): 11-8.

ObjectivesWe performed this study to evaluate the competency of health-care providers managing patients with tracheotomies, and assess the need for, and efficacy of, a multidisciplinary educational program incorporating patient simulation.MethodsThe prospective observational study included 87 subjects who manage patients with tracheotomies within a tertiary-care hospital. The subjects completed self-assessment questionnaires and objective multiple-choice tests before and after attending a comprehensive educational course using patient simulation. The outcome measurements included pre-course and post-course questionnaire and test scores, as well as observational data collected during recorded patient simulation sessions.ResultsBefore the education and simulation, the subjects reported an average comfort level of 3.3 on a 5-point Likert scale across 10 categories in the questionnaire, which improved to 4.4 after the training (p < 0.0001). The subjects' mean scores improved from 56% on the pre-course test to 91% on the post-course test (p < 0.0001). The specific deficiencies observed during patient simulation scenarios included unfamiliarity with different tracheotomy tube types, misunderstanding of speaking valve physiology, and delayed recognition and treatment of a plugged or dislodged tracheotomy tube.ConclusionsThere is a significant need for improved tracheotomy education among primary health-care providers. Incorporating patient simulation into a comprehensive tracheotomy educational program was effective in improving provider confidence, increasing provider knowledge, and teaching the skills necessary for managing patients with a tracheotomy.

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